Joint breaker



June 12, 1951 F. M. QWEN JOINT BREAKER Filed Sept. 3, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 7km INVENTOR,

ATTYO NEY F. M. OWEN JOINT BREAKER Jline 12 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1946 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 12, I951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOINT BREAKER Frank M. Owen, Houston, Tex.

Application September 3, 1946, Serial No. 694,632

My invention relates to mechanism for breaking pipe-joints, and more particularly forbreaking joints between sections of oil well rotary. drill stem standing in a usual rotary table. In other words, mechanism for reciprocating conventional pipe tongs on a usual oil well drilling derrick floor.

The present device is designed to supplant usual breakout catheads now extensively used for operating pipe tongs in breaking apart tool joint connections.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which includes a means for automatically limiting the length of stroke exerted by a jerk-line upon the pipe tongs.

' Another object is to provide a line pulling mechanism which not only limits the jerk-line stroke, but which also includes a frictional drive by which the speed of the jerk-line stroke may be manually controlled selectively, throughcontrolled slippage between the friction drive surfaces. a r

A further object is to provide a mechanism of this class in which the speed control is regulatable to such a fine degree that the line may either be held taut and stationary, or may be made to travel at the speed of the drive shaft.

An additional object is to provide a mechanism for the purposes set forth, which is simple to operate, which has few moving parts to become worn or to get out of order, and which may be manufactured at a cost which is not prohibitive.

Other objects and purposes will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top view with the upper portion of the housing removed;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section, the section having been taken along a vertical plane indicated substantially by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational sectional view, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, the parts of the line pulling mechanism being shown in their normal or idle positions, or in otherwords, in the positions they assume before a line pulling stroke is started; and,

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the parts 7 Claims. ('Cl. 254-473) a heavy metal housing which surrounds and envelopes similar ends of a drawworks drive shaft 2 and a jack-shaft 3, both journalled for rotation in suitable bearings mounted in the opposite vertical sides 5 of the housing I. The lower portion of the housing forms an elongated box 6 which lies in a horizontal plane and the open end 1 of which projects toward the usual pipe tongs, not shown. The housing I is rigidly mounted upon any suitable base or bracket having horizontal sills 8 to which the housing is Welded or otherwise rigidly attached.

Within the housing I, mounted rigidly upon the driving shaft 2 is a drum or spool 4. Within the housing I and rotatably mounted upon the jack-shaft 3 is a second drum 9. The shaft 3 has its end portions turned to a smaller diameter than the major portion of the shaft and these smaller portions are eccentric with relation to said major portion of the shaft. The smaller portions are indicated by the reference numeral Ill and it is these smaller portions l0 which are journalled in the bearings. The drum 4 has an enlarged friction disc Ii within the housing, and the drum 9 has an enlarged friction disc I2 aligned with the disc I I, and capable of frictionally engaging the same should the smaller portion ID of jack-shaft 23 be rotated so as to move the disc I2 toward the disc II. A suitable handle I3 is provided for so rotating the portions I0 of the shaft.

The periphery of the driven drum is relieved or notched to form a cavity within which a transverse pivot pin I4 may be disposed to anchor a looped end I5 of a jerk line I6. The jerk line IE travels from the pin I4 over the drum 4, and downwardly around the same to enter the horizontal box below the housing, the box being indicated as a whole by the numeral IT. The jerk line I6 extends longitudinally through the box and outwardly towards the open end I, and this end of the jerk line I6 is formed in a loop I8 adapted to receive a ring I9, or other means for attaching the line It to a line leading to the usual tongs, not shown.

In operation, the driving shaft 2 is normallyures 3 and 4. As the drum 9 so rotates, the line I6 is wound upon the exterior thereof to the position shown in Figure 4. The peripheral surface of the disc l2 has an indentation or arcuate notch 22 which extends transversely across the face thereof, and when the notch 22 reaches a point in its rotation at which it becomes aligned with the periphery of the disc II, and driving of the drum 9 ceases. Cessation of the driving of the drum line halts the pull on the line 16 and therefore the pulling stroke of the line is limited to approximately 270 degrees of a complete revolution.

The drum 9 is driven to rotation by contact between the two friction discs H and 12, but does not carry the entire load which might be placed upon the outer end of the line. Instead, the drum 9 merely tightens the cable around 270 degrees of the periphery of the drum 4, and the friction between the line 16 and the drum t acts to pull the major portion of the load placed upon the outer end of the line l6. By manipulating the handle [3 to controllably shift the friction disc 52, a slippage may be produced between the discs H and I2 so that the longitudinal movement of the line it may be so controlled, that its pull can be eased into the load. During operation, the operator holds the handle 13 so as to control this slippage, but even though he does not release the handle to move the disc 12 away from the disc H, the pull of the line will cease as soon as the groove 22 makes an approximate 270 degree revolution, and reaches a point of registration with the periphery with the disc I I (Fig. 4)

A bumper 25 is provided on the housing wall 5 so as to limit rotation of the drum 9. To this end, a pin 24 carried by one end of the drumis adapted to engage the bumper. The pin 25 is shown in solid lines in Fig. 3, in the position assumed when the drum lies in position to start its rotative cycle, and in solid lines in Fig. 4 as it appears when the drum is at the end of such rotative cycle.

For the sake of clarity of illustration, the line l6 has been shown in the drawings as being a twisted cable. However, in actual construction, it is preferred that the line I 5 be a fiat belt. In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the line is is illustrated as being a belt rather than a cable. The use of a belt increases friction between the line and the drum 4, and consequently enhances the pulling capacity of the device.

Obviously the device is subject to some alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be specifically confined to the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pipe joint breaker, including: a rotatably mounted driven drum; means for bodily moving the drum and its rotative axis at right angles to said axis; a driving drum rotatable upon an axis parallel to the first axis; an elongated bendable member having one end anchored to the driven drum and passing over and partially around the driving drum; a jerk line connected to the free end of said member; means for bodily shifting said driven drum to a position in which it is frictionally driven by the driving drum; and a re- 7 lieved portion in the engaged surface of one of the drums for preventing the driving engagement between the two drums.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, in which said shifting means includes an eccentric by which the rotative axis of the driven drum may be shifted toward and away from the driving drum; and a means for rotating the eccentric.

3. Structure as specified in claim 1, in which the bendable member is a belt.

4. A pipe joint breaker, including: a rotatably mounted driven drum; means for bodily moving the drum and its rotative axis at right angles to said axis; a driving drum rotatable upon an axis parallel to the first axis; an elongated bendable member having one end anchored to the driven drum and passing over and partially around the driving drum; a jerk line connected to the free end of said member; means for bodily shifting said driven drum to a position in which it is frictionally driven by the driving drum, and means for automatically disconnecting the driving connection between the two drums, when one of the drums has rotated a given distance.

5. A pipe joint breaker including: a rotatably mounted driven drum; a driving drum rotatable upon an axis parallel to the first axis; an elongated bendable member having one end anchored to one of the drums and passing partially around the other drum; a jerk line connected to the free end. of said member; means for bodily moving one of said drums and its rotative axis toward and away from the other drum at right angles to said axis, whereby one drum is frictionally driven by the other, and means for automatically disconnecting the driving connection between the two drums, when one of the drums has rotated a given distance.

6. A pipe joint breaker, including: a rotatably mounted driven drum; means for bodily moving the drum and its rotative axis at right angles to said axis; a driving drum rotatable upon an axis parallel to the first axis; an elongated bendable member having one end anchored to the driven drum and passing over and partially around the driving drum; a jerk line connected to the free end of said member; means for bodily shifting said driven drum to a position in which it is frictionally driven by the driving drum; and a relieved portion in the surface of one of the drums for preventing the driving engagement between the two drums.

'7. A pipe joint breaker including: a rotatably mounted driven drum; a driving drum rotatable upon an axis parallel to the first axis; an elongated bendable member having one end anchored to one of the drums and passing partially around the other drum; a jerk line connected to the free end of said member; means for bodily moving one of said drums and its rotative axis toward and away from the other drum at right angles to said axis, whereby one drum is frictionally driven by the other; and a relieved portion in the surface of one of the drums for preventing the driving engagement between the two drums.

FRANK M. OWEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

